1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a horizontally positionable door strike mountable on a door jamb during new construction for receiving a latch mounted on a door.
2. Background of the Prior Art
A conventional door lock bolt or latch is mounted on a door and is cooperatively received within a strike mounted on the door jamb. A typical door strike is a stamped metal member having a suitable aperture for receiving the bolt or latch, which stamped metal member is secured to the door jamb by passing a pair of material appropriate screws through a pair of openings—one above the latch opening and one below the latch opening—and passing the screws into the door jamb. The latch aperture on the stamped metal member overlies a similar aperture located on the door jamb. When the door is closed, the bolt or latch is received within the aperture on the stamped metal member as and the opening on the door jamb therebehind, oftentimes guided thereinto in the case of a latch by a tongue that faces toward the door when opened.
In order for the above door arrangement to work effectively, a certain amount of precision is required when installing the lock-set. Especially important is the frontward vertical edge of the door strike—that vertical edge closest to the tongue—as this edge holds the bolt or latch whenever the door is closed and prevents the door from opening unintended. If this edge is too far rearward, the door may not close without substantial coaxing, if at all, and if this vertical edge is too far forward, the door will have substantial play when closed and will rattle and be annoying to the occupants of the building. The problem is that oftentimes a contractor will not take the requisite care to properly install the door, the door jamb and lock-set and once the door is closable, the contractor moves on to the next project, irrespective of whether door closure is proper or not.
A remedy for such problems is the use of a positionable strike. While many examples of adjustable strikes can be found in the art, such devices tend to be relatively complex in design and construction, making such devices relatively expensive to obtain and difficult to install and use.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for a device that allows a door bolt or latch to properly mate with a corresponding strike located on a jamb and that can overcome an improperly installed lock-set. Such a device must be of relatively simple design and construction so that it is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and should replace the existing conventional fixed mount strike plates that are installed during new construction.